So about a month ago, I was disassembling a pellet gun to rebuild the cylinder. It was no longer holding air pressure and needed some o-rings replaced. I had to completely take it apart, and in the process and spring shot out and I heard it hit the trash can. I did a search around on the floor on the outside of the can with no results, which led me to believe it went inside. I carefully went through the trash, putting the papers and dust bunnies in the wood stove after "declaring them spring free." I got to the bottom of the can which was full of dust, and put a magnet down there to pull out the metal spring. No good. I took the can outside and spread the last of the dust, dog hair, and dryer lint in a thin layer on the ground and ran my spring seeking hands over it. No good. I MUST HAVE THROWN IT IN THE WOOD STOVE!

Next I carefully scraped all of the fresh ashes and coals off of the top with my metal shovel, and put them in my metal ash bucket. I take them outside and quench the heat out of the coals with water. I dump all the floating material in the grass, and then the sinking minerals and what not i put on the concrete pad outside my door. I spread it thin with my hands, knowing that the spring it gonna turn up. Nope. Last resort....I have a small spring assortment that I have acquired over the years. I just magically found one of the same diameter. It was much stronger, and had to cut it shorter to compensate for the spring strength. Since the reassembly, I have looked down at the pile of damp ashes outside my door every time I walk past, hoping that the spring will magically appear.

So, today while doing some mopping, I found it. I know that I searched high and low in the kitchen, but somehow it found itself a tiny cave in order to do a month long hibernation.

I guess the question is now, do I take it all back apart and put the original spring in? or just leave it alone and not risk it happening again?